Durango, Colorado or Shiprock, New Mexico.????

Heading south out of Pagosa Springs toward New Mexico on 84 means you'd miss Wolf Creek Pass

I don't mind Wolf Creek Pass as I have towed over it several times. BUT . . . the drive on 84 from Pagosa Springs in a beautiful drive, and it is the one I would choose.

Heading south out of Pagosa Springs toward New Mexico on 84 means you'd miss Wolf Creek Pass. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. ;)

From 1975, C.W. McCall's Wolf Creek Pass.

Wolf Creek Pass

First, I think you can handle 550 out of Ouray, based on the kinds of places you've been. We did it a few times with a small trailer -- piece of cake.

Second, if possible, spend some time in Silverton -- this blog post may be of interest:

Silverton area


Third, we took the scenic route from Durango to New Mexico. We took 160 from Durango to Pagosa Springs, and then 84 south to 64 to Taos. Beautiful country, and the roads were not bad at all. I am sure this is not the fastest route, but it was a great drive.

We spent time in Taos and Santa Fe -- this blog post might be of interest:

Taos and Santa Fe areas

The food in Taos and Santa Fe is amazing. It was life-changing, for me -- I had never had salsa roja made from roasted red peppers, without tomatoes. After we got home, I worked on perfecting my New Mexico red sauce recipe -- very laborious, but we now serve it with barbecued/smoked foods all the time.

Going from Ouray to Durango over Red Mountain, Molas, and Coal Bank Pass on 550 with a 36 ft 5er is not intelligent. For scenery go through Telluride on 145,then down to 160 at Cortez then over to Pagosa Springs before turning south on 84. If that is not enough mountains for you then take 64 over to Tres Piedras to 285 south again to 84.

I personally refer the dry desert rock cliffs scenery from Cortez to 550 south of Bloomfield and the 4 lane down to Albuquerque.

BB_TX wrote:
550 from Ouray to Durango is an incredible trip for scenery. But if you or anyone with you has a problem with heights, narrow highways, and steep drops off the side (and many do) I would not recommend it. It would be a very stressful and unpleasant trip.

Driven it by car would not pull the fiver over it. Knowing my wife I would probably just run off the road so I wouldn't need to hear her directing my driving from the passenger seat.

BB_TX wrote:
550 from Ouray to Durango is an incredible trip for scenery. But if you or anyone with you has a problem with heights, narrow highways, and steep drops off the side (and many do) I would not recommend it. It would be a very stressful and unpleasant trip.

I have driven the Moki Dugway highway in UT with no problem which is dirt. I think a US highway will be OK

550 from Ouray to Durango is an incredible trip for scenery. But if you or anyone with you has a problem with heights, narrow highways, and steep drops off the side (and many do) I would not recommend it. It would be a very stressful and unpleasant trip.

dedmiston wrote:
When do you plan to make this trip, TenOC?

Mid Aug 2021

Eastern route through Durango if you want scenery.

Shiprock is nice, then US-550 is mostly dry high scrub. It has its own beauty, but I like trees and high skylines of mountains.

The most interesting thing I saw on 550 between Rio Rancho and Farmington last time we drove was a 25' wide, 50' long house boat headed to Lake Powell, with like ten escort vehicles.

However, Chaco Culture National Historical Monument was an amazing place. But the absolutely roughest road on the planet for almost 10 miles to get there from 550. Took almost an hour and a half to cover the route - each way total travel time almost three hours. Just bare rock in places.

You will use more fuel, have steeper grades, need to watch the downhill gearing and brakes going through Durango, even if you bypass the Million Dollar Highway through Ouray and by Silverton.

One day trip, Shiprock, Farmington, ABQ.

Two, better three days driving - Durango and east through Pagosa Springs then south.